1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cooperative image processing system that includes: an image processing apparatus such as a multi-function peripheral (MFP), i.e., a multifunctional digital machine; a portable terminal apparatus such as a smartphone or a tablet computer terminal that is capable of connecting to the image processing apparatus; a cooperative image processing method for the cooperative image processing system; the portable terminal apparatus; the image processing apparatus; and a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
In recent years, users can store digital documents on their portable information apparatuses such as smartphones and tablet computer terminals, and even view and edit the stored documents anytime and anywhere they like. After editing a document by the portable terminal apparatus, users can transmit the document to an image processing apparatus such as a MFP to have it printed out by or stored on the image processing apparatus. Users also can create a file consisting of image data, for example, by scanning a physical paper document with a scanner of the image processing apparatus, and transmit it to their portable information apparatuses to edit the file thereby.
However, users are bothered by operating different screens from the image processing apparatus and the portable information apparatus, back and forth separately, which is quite troublesome.
In recent years, there has been a cooperative image processing system with an image processing apparatus and a portable terminal apparatus, which allows a user to access functions of both the image processing apparatus and the portable terminal apparatus from either of them, by displaying an operation screen of the image processing apparatus to operate the image processing apparatus and an operation screen of the portable terminal apparatus to operate the portable terminal apparatus, together side by side on a display portion of the image processing apparatus or the portable terminal apparatus. In this cooperative image processing system, the image processing apparatus and the portable terminal apparatus are allowed to exchange display data with each other and display the operation screens of both the image processing apparatus and the portable terminal apparatus based on the display data from each other, exactly the same on their display portions.
With this cooperative image processing apparatus, a user can instruct the image processing apparatus and the portable terminal apparatus to perform processing cooperatively on a document file, by operating different operation screens that the user needs to reach as follows, for example:
[1] In order to give instructions to the portable terminal apparatus, user goes to the third and lower level from the top screen to reach the operation screen of the portable terminal apparatus, with a parameter field, option buttons, and the like being thereon.
[2] In order to give instructions to the image processing apparatus, user goes to the fifth and lower level from the top screen to reach the operation screen of the image processing apparatus, with a parameter field, option buttons, and the like being thereon.
In this case, the user moves to the third and lower level and the fifth and lower level from the top screen to reach the operation screens of the portable terminal apparatus and the image processing apparatus, respectively, which is a somewhat troublesome operation. That is, the user has to switch back and forth between the different operation screens on the display portion, which is considered as the evidence of an unfriendly user interface.
There is a first method to solve this problem, in which: the user registers in advance his/her familiar operations onto the portable terminal apparatus and the image processing apparatus to prepare a menu with short-cut buttons for the familiar operations, and calls out the menu onto the different operation screens to start the cooperation between the portable terminal apparatus and the image processing apparatus. Thus the user can select a preferred short-cut button from the menu to reach a target operation screen.
There is also a second method to solve this problem, in which after having finished operations to some extent on the operation screen of the portable terminal apparatus, the user connects the portable terminal apparatus and the image processing apparatus to each other to start the cooperation between them. In this method, the image processing apparatus detects the progress of the user's operations on the portable terminal apparatus and displays a target operation screen on the basis of the progress.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-219351 teaches an image forming system comprising an image forming apparatus and a portable terminal apparatus, the image forming apparatus being configured to: transmit screen information for remote operation to the portable terminal apparatus in response to a request therefrom; and perform processing in accordance with instructions also therefrom, the portable terminal apparatus being configured to: display an operation screen by converting an image included in the screen information by a value set in advance; and transmit instructions entered through the operation screen, to the image forming apparatus.
However, in the first method as previously mentioned, the user possibly may be bothered by registering in advance his/her familiar operations as short-cut buttons because other users' familiar operations are not always familiar to him/her as well, which is an unsolved problem. Furthermore, the user could not take much advantage from the cooperation between the portable terminal apparatus and the image processing apparatus because he/she is still bothered by calling out short-cut buttons onto the different operation screens so as to select among them, which is another unsolved problem.
In the second method as previously mentioned, there could be a trouble when the user has to work on a complex task by the cooperation. For example, the user would be bothered by switching back and forth between the different operation screens; the user would be much more bothered by doing this when trying to access multiple functions at a time by the cooperation, which is yet another unsolved problem.
Unfortunately, the invention described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-219351 does not provide any perfect solution to the problems mentioned above.
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. Indeed, certain features of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages, while still retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.